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GIFT  OF 
THOMAS  RUTHERFORD  BACON 

MEMORIAL ,  LIBRARY 


J??l    *~ f 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2007  with  funding  from 

Microsoft  Corporation 


http://www.archive.org/details/baldyofnomeimmorOOdarlrich 


BALDY  OF  NOME 


SCOTTY  ALLAN  AND  BALDY 


BALDY  OF  NOME 

AN  IMMORTAL  OF  THE  TRAIL 


BY 
ESTHER  BIRDSALL  DARLING 

AUTHOR  OF  "UP  IN  ALASKA" 


A.  M   ROBERTSON 

STOCKTON  STREET  AT  UNION  SQUARE 
SAN   FRANCISCO,  CALIFORNIA 

1913 


Copyright  1912 
By  Esther  Birdsall  Darling 


TO  MY  MOTHER 

Whose  unfailing  kindness  to  all  animals  is 
one  of  my  earliest  and  happiest  memories. 


272571 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.     Characters  of  the  Racing  Kennel — Tom,  Dick, 

Harry,  and  the  Others      -------       9 

II.     Scotty  Allan  is  Boss — Discipline  and  Training     34 

III.  Dubby     -------------    39 

IV.  The  Great  Four  Hundred  Mile  Race  of  the 

All-Alaska  Sweepstake — Baldy  Makes 
Good   -------------    47 

V.     The  Solomon  Derby  —  Baldy  Rescues  Scotty     58 

VI.     Kennel  Gossip      ----------    70 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

Baldy  of  Nome        Frontispiece 

Nome 7 

"There  was  an  air  of  repressed  pride — almost  a  swagger — 
about  Jack  McMillan  when  he  heard  himself  described 
as   a    'man    eater'  " -     -         12 

"The  Infant  Prodigy,  Spot" 18 

"She  told  Tom  he  had  an  'angel  face' — and  spoke  of  Dick 

and  Harry  as  the  'Heavenly  Twins'  " 20 

"  .  .  .  and  alluded  to  Irish  and  Rover,  gentle  Irish  set- 
ters,   as    'Red    Devils'  " 21 

"They  carried  themselves  with  a  conscious  dignity  as  be- 
fitted their  fame  and  aspirations" 23 

"Wolf  was  only  a  puppy  taken  from  an  Eskimo  igloo, 
where  all  of  the  dogs  and  all  of  the  family  lived  in 
happy    harmony"         30 

"The  water  was  warm  and  deep  enough  so  that  he  had  to 
swim — an  ideal  place  for  his  Declaration  of  Independ- 
ence"          36 

"As  keeper  of  the  kennel  meat,   his  life  was  now  happily 

spent  in  dozing  peacefully  before  the  meat  room  door"         41 

"Every  afternoon  Dubby  took  Texas,  the  Allan  cat,  out  for 

a    stroll"        43 

"Dubby's    reputation   as   King   of   the   Trail    had   become    a 

tradition  of  the  North" 45 

"Then  there  was  the  more  pleasant  road  through  the  woods 

from  Council  to  Timber  Road  House" 54 

"There  were  other  teams  to  follow" 61 

"The  usual  enthusiasm  over  the  arrival  of  a  victorious  team 
was  turned  into  an  ovation  for  the  popular  and  plucky 
little  Scotchman.  In  spite  of  the  loss  of  the  best  dog 
in  the  kennel  on  the  eve  of  the  race,  and  having  been 
knocked  senseless  in  the  trail,  he  was  still  winner  of 
the  Solomon  Derby,  and  he  gave  the  credit  of  it  all 
to    Baldy!"        68 

"But  for  those  'fuzzy-wuzzy  Russian  lap  dogs,'  as  She 
called  them,  to  come  in  first  and  second,  and  break  a 
record  at  that,  was  most  humiliating" 71 


♦  <   c 


'      '    '    , '    r '  ' 

',  <  '  <     .  ••  . 


BALDY    OF    NOME 


Chapter  I. 

Characters  of  the  Racing  Kennel — Tom, 

Dick,  Harry,  and  the  Others. 

BALDY  always  hated  to  have  people 
go  through  the  Kennel;  he  knew  so 
well  what  to  expect,  and  in  some  way, 
used  to  it  as  he  was,  it  never  failed  to  hurt. 
Everyone  began,  of  course,  with  Tom, 
Dick,  and  Harry,  and  he  heard  again  and 
again  that  they  were  the  veterans  of 
Alaska  dog  racing,  and  had  been  in  all  of 
those  unique  dashes  across  the  snow-swept 
wastes  of  Seward  Peninsula  from  Bering 
Sea  to  the  Arctic  Ocean  and  return,  and 
had  never  been  "out  of  the  money."  He 
was  quite  prepared  for  the  exclamation, 
"How  wonderful!"  accompanied  by  a 
caress  admiringly  given  and  enthusiastic- 
ally   received;     for    Tom,    Dick,     and 

[9] 


BALDY      OF      NOM  E 


Harry,  the  celebrated  Tolman  brothers, 
had  tactful  ways  and  made  each  visitor 
feel  that  his  approval  was  the  last  seal  to 
their  perfect  satisfaction  in  the  fame  they 
had  won.  Tom  invariably  leaned 
against  people  confidingly  and  put  up  his 
paw  in  friendly  greeting;  while  Dick 
and  Harry,  so  much  alike  that  it  was 
nearly  impossible  to  tell  them  apart, 
stood  alert  and  eager  for  words  of  praise. 
It  was  not  so  bad  when  they  passed  on 
to  Spot.  Baldy  never  begrudged  him  any 
attention,  for  Spot  was  one  of  those  lucky 
dogs  beloved  alike  of  men  and  his  own 
kind.  In  his  short  life  of  eighteen  months 
he  had  known  nothing  but  the  kindness 
he  deserved.  Rescued  in  infancy  from 
poverty  and  obscurity,  and  given  to  little 
George  Allan,  he  had  been  the  child's 
constant  companion,  even  when  so  small 
that  he  fairly  rolled  instead  of  walking. 
And  then  came  the  day  when  Spot  was 

[IO] 


B ALD Y     OF      NOM  E 


broken  to  harness,  and  discovered  that 
work  was  play  to  him.  At  that  time  he 
was  awkward  and  had  not  grown  up  to 
his  feet,  but  he  was  powerful  and  will- 
ing; and  when  he  and  Queen,  an  incon- 
gruous but  congenial  pair,  won  the  first 
race  in  Nome,  driven  by  boys  under  eight 
years  of  age,  even  George's  father  felt 
that  Spot  might  make  his  mark. 

Baldy  remembered  how  "Scotty"  had 
laughed  the  morning  of  the  children's 
race,  when  "Scotty"  and  Dave  who  took 
care  of  the  dogs,  and  Matt  who  was  a  sort 
of  god-father  to  them  all,  were  watching 
George  prepare  his  team  for  the  contest. 
The  black  setter,  Queen,  fierce  at  the 
mere  approach  of  any  one  else,  had 
cheerfully  left  a  young  family  to  pull  the 
sled  for  George;  and  Spot,  overgrown 
puppy  that  he  was,  had  quite  astonished 
everyone  by  finishing  the  course  of  seven 
miles  in  thirty-two  minutes  and  thirty-six 

en] 


B ALD Y      OF      NOM  E 


seconds.  So,  with  that  record,  at  an  age 
when  clumsiness  alone  is  the  chief  char- 
acteristic of  a  dog,  Baldy  was  not  at  all 
surprised  at  the  interest  "Scotty"  Allan 
began  to  manifest  in  his  son's  pet. 

Jack  McMillan  came  next,  and  Baldy 
regarded  with  contempt  the  mixture  of 
fear  and  respect  with  which  Jack  was 
greeted,  due  to  his  reputation  for  wicked- 
ness, which  Baldy  knew  was  totally  un- 
deserved. At  first  there  had  been  an  air 
of  repressed  pride,  almost  a  swagger, 
about  Jack  when  he  heard  himself  de- 
scribed as  a  "man-eater,"  and  listened  to 
the  thrilling  and  more  or  less  correct  ac- 
count of  his  crimes  given 
by  the  various  people 
who  pointed  him  out. 
Handsome  and  intelli- 
gent, bought  at  an  enor- 
mous cost,  he  had  been 
absolutely  unmanageable 


"There  was  an  air  of 
repressed  pride — almost  a 
swagger — about  Jack  McMillan 
when  he  heard  himself 
described  as  a  'man  eater.'  " 


B ALDY      OF      NOM  E 


in  training  and  in  the  first  big  race. 
His  driver  did  not  understand  him,  and 
there  had  been  many  a  battle  royal  in 
which  life  or  death  for  the  man  or  the 
dog  had  seemed  the  only  issue.  The 
fierceness  of  his  strong  wolf  strain  had 
made  him  a  foe  to  be  reckoned  with, 
while  his  colossal  strength  and  alertness 
were  a  valuable  addition  to  any  team; 
and  so  he  was  not  killed,  but  was  watched 
and  controlled  with  difficulty.  Finally 
his  tusks  were  broken,  but  his  resentment 
against  restraint  grew  greater,  and  his 
hatred  of  his  driver  grew  deeper.  At 
last,  as  an  incorrigible,  he  was  turned  over 
to  "Scotty"  Allan,  who  was  known  from 
Dawson  to  Nome  as  the  best  dog  man  in 
the  North,  and  there  were  two  desperate, 
deadly  struggles  for  supremacy,  in  which 
"Scotty"  won.  Baldy  could  think  of  no 
other  possible  outcome,  for  while  his  dogs 
knew  that  Allan  was  their  friend,  they 

[13] ' 


BALDY      OF      NOME 


realized  that  he  was  also  their  master, 
and  they  rarely  forgot  that  obedience  was 
the  first  Law  of  the  Kennel.  And  so 
Jack  McMillan's  little  poses  of  uncon- 
querable ferocity,  mere  affectations  of  his 
stormy  past,  were  a  farce  to  those  who 
saw  him  quiver  with  delight  when 
George  Allan  and  Danny  Kelly  hung 
round  his  neck  berating  him  for  his  un- 
savory reputation;  or  when  he  eagerly 
pulled  at  his  chain  to  put  his  massive 
head  under  some  timid  hand. 

As  to  Kid,  well,  of  course,  Baldy  did 
not  know  that  there  was  an  adage  to  the 
effect  that  "the  good  die  young,"  but  if 
he  had,  Kid's  untimely  end  would  not 
have  surprised  him  in  the  least  for  Kid 
had  all  of  the  admirable  qualities  that  any 
one  dog  could  possess.  He  was  the  most 
promising  racing  leader  in  Alaska,  and 
his  death — but  that  is  another  story,  and 
only  concerns  Baldy  in  so  far  as  it  gave 
him  the  great  chance  of  his  life. 

[Hi 


BALDY      OF      NOME 


Then  there  was  ever  a  word  of  praise 
for  Mego,  the  fleet  hound  mother,  whose 
puppies  rank  so  high  in  the  racing  world 
beyond  the  Frozen  Sea.  Exemplary  in 
every  other  way  she  was,  however,  the 
cause  of  a  continuous  Kennel  scandal 
from  the  fact  that  she  was  guilty  of  the 
crime  of  kidnapping,  with  appalling  fre- 
quency; for  when  her  own  little  ones 
had  outgrown  her  loving  care  she  would 
stealthily  watch  her  chance  to  annex  at 
least  one  member  of  any  new  litter  in  her 
vicinity.  She  had  even  been  caught 
tunneling  under  a  manger  which  housed 
some  recent  arrivals  whose  faint  squeaks 
and  squeals  were  siren  calls  to  her  keen 
ears.  Sometimes  light-minded,  gadabout 
mothers  were  rather  relieved  at  her  deep 
interest  in  their  progeny,  and  she  was  al- 
lowed to  establish  a  puppies'  "Day 
Home"  while  they  roamed  at  will;  but 
again,  as  with  Nellie  Silk,  dire  disaster 

[15] 


B ALD Y      OF      NOM  E 


menaced  each  time  Mego  forced  her 
amiable  but  unwelcome  attentions  on 
Nellie's  attractive  malamute  family.  But 
Baldy  noticed  that  this  failing  seemed  to 
create  only  kindly  amusement  or  sym- 
pathy,— so  perhaps  after  all,  motives  and 
not  results  are  occasionally  considered — 
at  least  where  the  affectionate  impulses 
of  mothers  are  concerned.  In  Baldy  the 
idea  of  the  greatest  good  for  the  greatest 
number  was  strong,  and  he  wished  that  she 
might  appropriate  Nellie's  entire  brood, 
and  elude  Matt's  sense  of  justice  which 
rendered  unto  Nellie  the  puppies  that 
were  hers  in  spite  of  the  knowledge  that 
Mego  was  a  far  more  tender  and  judi- 
cious parent. 

Down  the  visitors  would  come  between 
the  stalls,  Baldy  dreading  the  moment 
they  would  reach  him.  On  past  Barney 
and  Mike,  Priest  and  Irish,  and  all  of  the 
others,  to  where  he,  outwardly  unmoved 

[16] 


B ALDY     OF      NOME 


but  inwardly  shrinking,  listened  for  the 
invariable  question,  "This  is  not  one  of 
the  racers,  is  it?"  and  for  the  almost  in- 
variable explanation,  "Well,  he  doesn't 
look  it!"  It  was  difficult  to  appear  in- 
different when  he  was  called  "onery," 
"morose,"  or  "savage,"  and  even  "Scot- 
ty's"  voice  saying,  "Oh,  Baldy's  a  pretty 
good  sort,"  did  not  ease  the  pain;  for 
"Scotty"  found  good  in  all  dogs  that  were 
not  hopelessly  bad,  and  this  faint  praise 
had  a  detached  impersonal  quality  that 
spoke  rather  of  a  liking  for  dogs  in  gen- 
eral than  for  Baldy  in  particular;  and 
Baldy  craved  a  very  particular  liking 
from  "Scotty,"  who  was  his  idol. 

Baldy's  experiences  had  been  distinctly 
uninteresting;  he  was  "just  dog."  There 
had  been  no  dramatic  episodes  in  his  life, 
like  those  of  Jack  McMillan's;  he  had 
not  been  an  infant  prodigy  like  Spot;  he 
was  no  paragon  like   Kid;    yet  on  the 

[17] 


B ALD Y      OF      NOM  E 


other  hand  there  was  nothing  of  discredit 
in  his  career  to  warr-  .ae  name  he  had 
acquired.  It  w  .*  very  subtle;  while 
such  expressions  as  "I  do  not  believe 
Baldy  will  ever  amount  to  anything,  he 
has  a  peculiar  disposition,"  seemed  to  be 
the  worst  that  was  said,  there  was  a  defin- 
ite impression  given  that  much  more 
might  be  said.  He  was,  to  be  sure,  abso- 
lutely natural,  and  if  he  felt  depressed 
or  at  outs  with  the  world,  was  apt  to  show 
it,  which  did  not  add  to  his  popularity. 
It  was  very  disconcerting  to  him  to  see 
how  successful  deceit  is  along  certain 
lines,  and  what  he  saw  might  have  under- 
mined Baldy's  whole  moral  nature  but 
for  the  simple  sincerity  that  was  the  key- 
note to  his  character.  For  in- 
stance, no  matter  how  hateful 
Tom  felt,  he  was  always  con- 
spicuously amiable,  which 
seemed  basely  hypocritical  to 
Baldy.  He  had  seen  Tom 
after  the  most  shocking  de- 


"The  Infant 
Prodigy,  Spot.' 


V 


B ALDY     OF      NOM  E 


pravity,  such  as  chasing  the  Allan  girls' 
pet  cat,  stealing  ^'ghbor's  dog-salmon, 
or  attacking  a  passing  !gx  terrier,  seem 
so  pensive  and  gentle  that  mere  circum- 
stantial evidence  could  never  attach  itself 
to  him,  and  Tom  was  far  too  crafty  to  be 
caught  in  an  overt  act.  Only  once  could 
Baldy  remember  that  Tom  had  mani- 
fested any  trace  of  guilty  uneasiness,  and 
then  it  was  not  so  much  shame  or  remorse 
as  fear  of  a  richly  deserved  punishment. 
It  was  in  March,  just  a  month  before  one 
of  the  great  races,  and  "Scotty"  had  taken 
Her  up  to  the  Hot  Springs,  seventy  miles 
from  Nome,  to  visit  for  a  couple  of  weeks. 
Baldy  could  never  quite  figure  Her  out. 
She  came  into  the  Kennel  every  day  and 
seemed  to  love  them  all,  but  She  simply 
had  no  idea  of  discipline  and  casually 
suggested  all  sorts  of  foolish  and  revolu- 
tionary privileges  for  the  dogs  that  would 
have  ruined  them  in  no  time.    Then,  too, 

[19] 


B ALDY      OF      NOME 


She  was  not  in  the  least  discriminating, 
for  She  told  Tom,  who  perhaps  possessed 
more  faults  of  disposition  than  any  mem- 
ber of  the  team,  that  he  had  an  "angel 
face"; — spoke  of  Dick  and  Harry,  clever 
imitators  of  their  brother's  misdeeds,  as 
"The  Heavenly  Twins,"  and  alluded  to 
Irish  and  Rover,  gentle  Irish  setters,  as 
"Red  Devils,"  which  was  so  rankly  un- 
just that  Baldy,  who  knew  not  the  mean- 
ing of  irony,  was  amazed  at  Her  stu- 
pidity; but  when  She  let  Jack  McMillan 
put  his  paws  on  Her  shoulders  and  lay 
his  huge  head  against  Her  cheek,  calling 
him  a  "perfect  lamb"  or  a  "poor  dear 
Martyr,"  Baldy  turned  his  head  away  in 
disgust. 


"She  told  Tom  he  had  an 
'angel  face' — and  spoke 
of  Dick  and  Harry  as  the 
'Heavenly  Twins.'  " 


as  * 


•m    ^ 

£a$ 


BALDY      OF      NOME 


These  endearments  were  exceedingly 
impolitic,  for  they  were  invariably  di- 
rected toward  the  very  dogs  who  were 
most  apt  to  overvalue  mere  physical 
charm  or  ingratiating  tricks  of  manner. 
But  there  was  one  thing  more  objection- 
able still  that  could  be  laid  at  Her  door 
— She  was  constantly  lowering  the  gen- 
eral tone  of  the  Kennel.  Had  Baldy  been 
a  French  Poodle  with  little  tufts  of  hair 
cut  in  circles  around  his  ankles,  and  a 
kinky  lock  tied  with  a  splashing  bow  over 
his  eyes,  he  would  probably,  with  delicate 
disdain,  have  characterized  Her  as  lack- 
ing in  "esprit  de  corps."  As  it  was,  be- 
ing a  blunt  Alaskan,  he  growled  rather 
sullenly  when  She  came  too  near,  and 
considered  that  She  had  no  more  dog 
pride  than  an  Eskimo — and  Baldy's  con- 
tempt for  Her  could  suggest  no  more 
scathing  criticism.    The  team  dogs  were 

[22] 


s  s 


I1 

3  i 


B ALD Y      OF      NOM  E 


all  well  groomed,  and  carried  themselves 
with  a  conscious  dignity  as  befitted  their 
fame  and  aspirations;  but  gradually, 
through  Her,  the  commonest  dogs  made 
themselves  at  home  about  the  place,  and 
were  housed  and  fed  till  it  looked  like  a 
transient  Dog  Hotel.  She  brought  them 
because  they  were  tired  and  hungry, 
lame,  halt  or  blind,  or  worse  still,  just 
because  they  "seemed  to  like  Her."  No 
reason  was  too  trivial,  no  dog  too  worth- 
less. Matt  shamelessly  upheld  Her, 
"Scotty"  submitted,  while  Baldy  sulkily 
glowered  at  these  encumbrances  who 
were  more  fit  for  the  pound  than  the 
Allan  and  Darling  Racing  Stables.  There 
was  no  jealousy  in  his  objections,  for  he 
actually  gloried  in  the  sensation  that  Spot 
and  Irish  always  created  when  they  were 
in  the  lead,  which  was  surely  a  test  of  his 
unselfishness,  and  he  was  perfectly  will- 

[24] 


B ALDY      OF      NOM  E 


ing  to  welcome  "classy"  dogs,  as  George 
and  Danny  called  them,  like  Fighting 
Bob,  Hiram  Johnson  or  dainty  Margaret 
Winston,  the  new  thoroughbred  fox 
hound  from  Kentucky. 

He  even  admitted  that  there  were  dogs, 
neither  workers  nor  racers,  who  had 
gained  a  sort  of  popular  distinction  that 
was  recognized  by  both  the  human  and 
canine  population  of  the  city,  and  while 
it  was  impossible  for  him  to  comprehend 
the  reason,  he  accepted  the  fact  philo- 
sophically. There  was  Oolik  Lomen, 
who  was  born  on  Amundsen's  ship,  the 
"Gjoa,"  when  on  the  voyage  that  resulted 
in  the  discovery  of  the  Northwest  Pas- 
sage. Oolik,  possibly  from  pride  in  his 
birth  place  or  because  of  his  unusual  ap- 
pearance, was  haughty  to  the  verge  of  in- 
solence, and  to  Baldy  he  represented  the 
culmination  of  all  the  charming  but  use- 

[25] 


B ALD Y     OF      NOME 


less  graces  of  the  idle  rich;  for  Oolik  did 
nothing  but  pose  on  the  Lomen  porch  on 
a  soft  rug,  or  wander  about  with  a  rub- 
ber doll  in  his  mouth,  much  as  a  certain 
type  of  woman  lolls  through  life  carrying 
a  lap  dog. 

Then  there  was  the  tramp  Nomie,  the 
pet  of  the  Miners'  Union  and  the  Fire 
Department.  This  little  fox  terrier  was 
a  constant  attendant  at  all  affairs  of  the 
town — social  or  political — parades,  chris- 
tenings, weddings  and  even  funerals.  At 
concerts  he  walked  out  upon  the  stage 
with  the  performers  and  waited  quietly 
through  each  number  until  the  program 
was  finished.  He  never  failed  to  be  at 
all  balls,  where  he  selected  a  couple  for 
each  dance  and  followed  them  through 
the  mazes  of  the  two-step  and  waltz  with 
great  dexterity;  and  in  case  of  an  encore 
remaining  with  the  same  people  to  the 

[26] 


B ALDY     OF      NOM  E 


end.  Between  dances  he  visited  with 
those  he  knew,  and  it  is  darkly  hinted  that 
he  had  been  seen  to  accept  a  drink  at  a 
near-by  bar,  if  offered  discreetly — though 
Baldy  was  no  ready  believer  of  such  gos- 
sip. The  knowledge  that  Nomie  assisted 
at  every  fire,  and  at  all  the  drills  of  the 
Life  Saving  Crew  on  the  beach,  made 
Baldy  feel  that  his  social  diversions  were 
only  an  outlet  for  his  exuberant  spirits, 
since  there  were  not  fires  enough  to  keep 
him  busy,  and  a  poor  little  terrier,  no  mat- 
ter how  ambitious,  is  debarred  by  his  size 
from  the  noble  sport  of  racing.  So  it 
really  seemed  that  Baldy  was  exceedingly 
liberal  and  tolerant  in  his  estimate  of 
dogs,  in  general,  and  it  was  only  his  desire 
for  a  high  standard  in  his  own  Kennel 
that  prompted  his  aversion  to  these  waifs 
and  strays  that  She  collected,  who,  of  no 
use,    were   neither   professional   beauties 

[27] 


BALDY      OF      NOME 


like  Oolik  nor  society  favorites  like 
Nomie. 

Also  Baldy's  intolerance  of  Her  had  a 
personal  side  and  was  aggravated  by  the 
fact  that  She  frequently  gave  him  such  an 
ill-sounding  title  as  "Pessimist"  or  "Dog- 
ones."  The  latter,  She  carefully  ex- 
plained to  him,  was  not  a  bad  name,  only 
a  bad  joke,  which,  however,  was  no  balm 
to  his  injured  feelings.  It  was  after  they 
had  arrived  at  the  Hot  Springs  that 
Tom's  brutal  crimes  and  subsequent 
hypocrisy  had  made  Baldy  feel  the  in- 
justice of  a  world  that  seldom  delves  be- 
low the  surface  of  things. 

Tom  had  always  hated  Eskimo  dogs ; 
he  either  chose  to  ignore  his  own  huskie 
blood,  or  else  felt  it  was  superior  to  the 
native  strain  in  the  malamutes  of  the 
Coast,  just  as  some  people  proudly  boast 
of  being  descended  from  Pocahontas,  who 
would  shudder   at   the   mere   idea   of   a 

[28] 


BALDY      OF      NOME 


Siwash  squaw  ancestress.  At  all  events, 
Tom  had  resented  the  entrance  of  the 
Eskimo  dog,  Wolf,  into  the  Kennel,  and 
never  failed,  when  "Scotty"  was  not 
about,  to  manifest  an  enmity  that  would 
have  told  a  civilized  dog  not  to  attempt 
any  liberties  with  him.  But  Wolf  was 
only  an  ignorant  puppy,  taken  from  an 
Eskimo  igloo,  where  all  of  the  dogs  and 
all  of  the  family  had  lived  in  happy  har- 
mony; and  so,  one  day,  when  he  was  par- 
ticularly joyous,  he  nipped,  in  the  spirit 
of  mischief,  the  end  of  Tom's  wagging 
stump  of  a  tail.  Tom  wheeled  instantly, 
his  hair  bristling,  and  his  jaws  apart, 
but  the  timely  entrance  of  Matt  made 
further  demonstrations  impossible;  and 
Tom's  instinctive  dislike  for  Wolf  grew 
into  an  obsession  after  that  direct  and 
personal  insult.  In  their  well  appointed 
quarters  in  Nome,  with  each  dog  in  his 
own  stall,  revenge  was  out  of  the  ques- 

[29] 


B ALD Y     OF      NOME 


tion;  and  when  in  harness  or  out  with 
Matt  for  exercise,  there  was  as  little 
chance  for  settling  a  grievance  as  there 
would  have  been  with  soldiers  on  parade; 
but  at  the  Springs  Tom's  opportunity 
came.  The  small  stables  were  over- 
crowded, there  being  seventy-two  dogs  in 
camp  belonging  to  storm-bound  travel- 
ers. It  was  necessary  to  chain  the  dogs 
closer  together  than  "Scotty"  felt  was 
wise,  though  he  was  not  prepared  for  the 
tragedy  that  greeted  him  when  he  went 
out  one  morning  to  see  that  all  was  well 
with  the  team.  Every  dog  rose  to  greet 
"Scotty"  and  Her  as  they  came  in  the 
door  except  poor  Wolf,  who  lay  dead, 
strangled  with  his  own  collar.  A  careful 
examination  showed  that  on  one  hind  foot 
were  traces  of  blood  and  marks  of  teeth ; 
and  there  were  but  two  dogs  who  could 
have  reached  Wolf  to  stretch  him  till  he 
choked,  Baldy  and  Tom.     Baldy  never 

[31] 


BALDY      OF      NOME 


forgot  the  sickening  suspicion  that  seemed 
to  hang  over  him  all  day.  For  a  very 
brief  period  Tom  had  shown  a  humility 
as  deep  as  it  was  unusual;  he  had  re- 
frained from  jumping  upon  "Scotty"  and 
rubbing  against  Her;  he  had  sat  alone  on 
a  pile  of  wood,  not  even  romping  with 
Dick  or  Harry,  till  he  felt  the  hour  of 
judgment  had  passed,  and  then,  deciding 
there  was  no  punishment  forthcoming,  he 
had  leaped  and  frisked,  and  had  been  so 
innocently  frivolous  that  Baldy's  con- 
tempt for  his  own  kind  made  life  hardly 
worth  while.  One  might  look  for  such 
actions  from  a  cat  that  had  killed  a  bird, 
for  cats  were  only  soft-footed,  purring 
bundles  of  deceit,  with  no  standard  of 
Trail  Morals;  but  from  a  dog,  a  racing 
dog,  and  one  belonging  to  "Scotty"  Allan, 
it  was  almost  incredible.  One  would  ex- 
pect him  to  at  least  have  the  courage  of 
his  race  prejudices,  and  be  willing  to  take 

[32] 


BALDY      OF      NOME 


the  consequences  of  what  he  regarded  as 
a  legitimate  feud. 

The  cold-blooded  murder  was  much 
discussed,  and  when  She  stooped  to  lay 
a  pitying  hand  on  Wolf's  stiffening  body, 
and  looked  inquiringly  toward  Baldy, 
"Scotty"  had  said,  "No,  it's  not  like  Baldy 
to  do  such  a  thing  and  I  hate  to  think  Tom 
would;  at  all  events,  I  cannot  punish 
either  on  a  mere  suspicion,  for  there's  the 
possibility  that  a  stray  dog  might  have 
been  responsible."  And  so  the  affair  was 
ended  officially,  but  the  memory  of  it 
rankled,  and  gave  another  excuse  for 
Baldy's  fast  growing  pessimism.  Fortun- 
ately he  was  too  busy  to  brood  much  over 
his  troubles,  for  the  time  of  the  Race  was 
approaching  and  many  new  dogs  were  be- 
ing tried  out.  Most  of  them  were  as  eager 
for  the  honor  of  making  the  team  as  a  col- 
lege freshman  is  to  get  into  the  "first 
eleven";  but  occasionally  it  was  thrust 
upon  an  unwilling  candidate.         [  33  ] 


B  ALD  Y     OF      NOME 


Chapter  II. 

Scotty    Allan    is   Boss —  Discipline    and 
Training. 

BALDY  had  watched  with  much  in- 
terest the  attempt  of  Fisher,  a  recent 
acquisition,  to  ignore  "Scotty's"  authority, 
and  wondered  when  the  inevitable  end 
would  come,  and  what  it  would  be. 
Fisher  had  shirked  on  the  trail  all  the 
way  from  Nome,  for  he  had  been  badly 
trained.  "Scotty"  spoke  to  him  fre- 
quently, but  Fisher  preferred  nagging  to 
working,  though  he  was  careful  not  to  be 
defiant  in  manner.  But  one  day  when 
"Scotty"  was  going  to  take  Her  for  a  ride, 
and  Fisher  felt  inclined  to  doze  on  the  hay 
in  the  barn,  there  came  open  rebellion. 
When  the  other  dogs  stepped  into  place 
and  "Scotty"  was  ready  to  snap  each  har- 
ness to  the  tow-line,  Fisher,  reluctant  in 

[34] 


B  ALD  Y     OF      NOME 


coming,  meditated  a  moment,  and  then 
dashed  down  the  steep  bank  into  the  over- 
flow of  the  Springs.  The  water  was  very 
warm,  and  deep  enough  so  that  he  had  to 
swim,  and  he  felt  that  he  had  selected  an 
ideal  place  for  his  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence. But  "Scotty,"  shouting  direc- 
tions to  have  the  other  dogs  unhitched, 
started  in  pursuit.  Fisher  left  the  hard, 
well-beaten  track,  and  struck  out  for  some 
small  willows  and  alders  where  the  snow 
had  drifted  in  feathery  masses.  He  broke 
through  the  crust  frequently,  but  knew 
that  a  man  would  have  more  difficulty 
still  in  making  any  headway.  Finally 
"Scotty"  turned  back  toward  the  house 
and  Fisher  sat  down  to  think  over  his  little 
victory.  He  was  tired  and  panting,  but  he 
felt  that  he  had  scored  a  point,  when,  to 
his  amazement,  he  saw  "Scotty"  again 
coming  toward  him,  and  now  on  snow 
shoes.     He  plunged  forward,  and  relent- 

[35] 


BALDY      OF      NOME 


lessly  "Scotty"  followed.  Hour  after 
hour  the  chase  continued  until  at  length 
Fisher  realized  the  futility  of  it  all  and, 
thoroughly  exhausted,  crouched  shiver- 
ing in  the  snow,  waiting  for  the  punish- 
ment that  lay  in  the  coils  of  the  long  black 
whip  in  the  man's  hand.  But  at  some  lit- 
tle distance  from  him  "Scotty"  paused  and 
called  to  Fisher.  There  was  something 
compelling  in  the  voice,  something  he 
could  not  resist,  and  so,  in  spite  of  the 
temptation  to  make  one  more  wild  dash 
for  liberty,  the  dog  crawled  to  "Scotty's" 
feet  in  fear  and  trembling;  and  instead  of 
the  sting  of  the  lash  that  he  had  expected, 
a  gentle  hand  was  laid  upon  him  and  a 
kind  voice  said,  "It's  a  good  thing,  old  fel- 
low, you  decided  to  come  of  your  own  free 
will ;  it  means  a  bone  instead  of  a  beating; 
remember  that  always";  and  a  delicious 
greasy  bone  was  taken  from  a  capacious 
pocket  and  given  him. 

[37] 


B ALD Y      OF      NOM  E 


So  Fisher  went  back  to  the  stable  with 
"Scotty,"  and  all  of  the  other  dogs,  with 
a  politeness  born  of  similar  experiences, 
ignored  the  little  episode  which  taught 
Fisher  once  for  all  that  respect  for  au- 
thority eliminates  the  necessity  for  a 
whipping,  which  is,  perhaps,  the  canine 
version  of  Virtue  being  its  own  Reward. 


[38] 


BALDY      OF      NOME 


Chapter  III 

Dubby. 

WHEN  the  real  training  for  the 
Sweepstakes  began,  it  was  interest- 
ing work  for  them  all.  Dogs  were  re- 
jected or  accepted  till  it  appeared  as  if  the 
best,  the  strongest,  and  most  willing  dogs 
in  Alaska  were  ready,  under  "Scotty's" 
careful  discipline,  for  the  contest.  Baldy 
could  not  quite  understand  what  it  meant, 
he  realized  that  these  long  swift  runs  with 
the  sled  empty  of  freight  or  passengers 
did  not  mean  a  business  trip  such  as  they 
made  in  delivering  goods  to  the  miners  on 
the  creeks ;  yet  there  was  certainly  a  seri- 
ousness about  the  whole  affair  that  put 
the  dogs  on  their  mettle. 

The  town  of  Nome,  extending  along 
the  shore  of  Bering  Sea  for  over  two 
miles,  is  very   narrow,  not   having  been 

[39] 


BALDY      OF      NOME 


built  far  back  on  the  tundra  which 
stretches  away,  a  bog  in  summer,  to  the 
hills  in  the  distance.  In  winter  this  is, 
however,  a  wide  sweep  of  spotless  snow 
crossed  by  well  defined  trails — and  it  was 
here  they  came  for  exercise  ,  sometimes 
even  going  into  the  mountains  which  rose 
rugged  and  majestic  from  the  vast  white 
plain  to  a  sky  brilliantly  blue  in  the 
dazzling  Arctic  sunshine,  or  sodden  and 
gray  in  a  storm. 

At  last  the  Great  Day  came.  There 
was  an  early  stir  in  the  Kennel  and  every- 
thing was  confusion.  Even  Dubby,  a 
dignified  old  huskie,  came  in  to  see  what 
was  happening.  Dubby,  pensioned  and 
retired,  with  a  record  of  over  thirty  thou- 
sand miles  in  harness  to  his  credit,  lived  a 
delightful  and  exclusive  existence  in  his 
own  apartments  over  the  barn.  That  he 
might  not  feel  utterly  useless  he  had  been 
given  the  honorary  position  of  Keeper  of 

[40] 


&• 

V. 

SO 

o  *» 

£  * 

5  a 


^ 


B ALD Y     OF      NOM  E 


North.  One  of  the  most  brilliant  lawyers 
of  Alaska,  who  knew  the  dog's  cleverness 
as  a  leader,  always  raised  his  hat  to  him 
when  they  met  on  the  street  as  a  greeting 
from  one  keen  intellect  to  another;  and 
so,  admired  by  men,  and  feared  by  dogs, 
the  faithful  huskie  was  singularly  exempt 
from  the  tragedies  of  a  neglected  old  age. 
From  the  first,  however,  Dubby  had 
shown  a  pronounced  disapproval  of  rac- 
ing, and  while  not  actually  hostile  to  the 
racing  dogs,  his  critical  attitude  was 
galling.  Generally  he  ignored  them  com- 
pletely, turning  his  back  when  they  were 
being  harnessed,  and  apparently  oblivious 
to  their  very  existence.  He  showed  the 
same  contempt  for  racers  that  a  substantial 
business  man  with  rigid  principles  might 
feel  for  a  distinctly  sporting  element 
introduced  into  his  ultra-conservative 
neighborhood.  So  it  was  rather  remark- 
able for  Dubby  to  come  in,  even  with  Her, 

[44] 


l 


"Dubby's  reputation  as  King  of  the  Trail 
had  become  a  tradition  of  the  North." 


B  ALD  Y      OF      NOME 


and  remain  while  she  placed  bows  and 
knots  of  glistening  gold  on  the  dogs'  col- 
lars and  on  the  front  of  the  racing  sled. 
She  even  tied  the  "colors"  about  Dubby's 
neck  and  he  offered  no  objection,  though 
he  must  have  felt  that  such  decorations 
were  out  of  all  keeping  with  the  dignity 
of  his  gray  hairs. 


[46] 


B ALD Y     OF      NOM  E 


Chapter  IV. 

The   Great  400-Mile  Race   of  the  All- 
Alaska  Sweepstake — Baldy 
Makes  Good. 

BALDY  never  forgot  that  morning. 
Through  the  narrow  streets,  gay 
with  the  waving  banners  and  fluttering 
streamers  of  the  Kennel  Club  green  and 
gold,  they  went,  the  eager,  laughing, 
pushing  throngs  of  people  closing  in  upon 
them  till  Baldy  longed  to  howl  in  sheer 
fright,  though  howling  in  harness  was 
strictly  forbidden  by  "Scotty."  What  a 
relief  it  was  to  reach  an  open  space  on  the 
smooth  ice  of  Bering  Sea  in  front  of  the 
town!  Here  the  gathering  crowds  were 
held  back  by  ropes,  and  only  a  few  moved 
about,  overlooking  a  team  that  stood  be- 
tween two  stands  in  which  were  judges, 
timekeepers,   and   fur-clad  heralds  with 

[47] 


BALDY      OF      NOME 


their  trumpets.  There  was  a  hush  of  ex- 
pectancy now  that  was  almost  as  discon- 
certing as  the  noise  and  clamor  through 
which  they  had  just  come.  They  were 
mad  to  be  off,  but  "Scotty's"  voice, 
"Steady,  boys,  steady,"  kept  them  quiet. 
Suddenly  the  notes  of  a  bugle  rang  loud 
and  clear,  a  flag  fluttered  and  fell,  and  the 
team  between  the  stands  dashed  down  the 
ice,  followed  by  prolonged  shouts  of 
goodwill.  An  almost  interminable  wait 
followed,  ten  full  minutes  of  nearly  un- 
controllable excitement  on  the  part  of  the 
dogs,  when  at  last  the  signal  to  start  came 
to  them  also.  "Scotty's"  "All  right,  Boys! 
Let  her  go!!"  was  music  to  their  ears,  and 
eagerly  leaping  forward,  they,  too,  to  the 
sound  of  wild  cheers,  had  hit  the  Trail 
for  the  Arctic. 

It  was  blowing  a  gale,  and  the  tempera- 
ture had  dropped  to  six  degrees  below 
zero,  but  not  one  owner  and  not  one  driver 

[48] 


B ALDY      OF      NOM  E 


of  the  fourteen  teams  entered  in  the  race 
protested  against  starting  in  the  storm; 
for  these  "Men  of  the  High  North,"  in 
serious  undertakings  or  in  sport,  are  ready 
to  abide  by  the  Luck  of  the  Trail.  And 
so,  one  by  one,  they  all  left,  and  the  bliz- 
zard grew  in  fury  as  they  went  down  the 
coast.  Like  phantom  teams  they  silently 
sped  far  out  over  the  frozen  waters  of 
Bering  Sea,  threading  their  way  between 
the  huge  ice  hummocks  that  rose,  gro- 
tesque and  ghostly,  in  the  misty  grayness 
of  the  whirling  snow;  past  villages 
and  roadhouses,  native  settlements  and 
camps,  pausing  only  when  necessary  for 
food  and  drink  and  a  rest. 

It  was  all  a  confused  memory  to  Baldy 
afterwards,  only  a  few  events  standing  out 
clearly  in  his  mind;  the  most  important 
being  that  he  was  selected  to  lead  with 
Kid  through  the  terrors  of  the  raging 
storm,  up  Topkok  Hill.    "Scotty,"  know- 

[49] 


B ALD Y     OF      NOM  E 


ing  that  for  awhile  he  must  forge  ahead, 
keeping  the  trail  which  here  could  be  so 
easily  lost,  felt  that  success  or  failure 
would  rest  on  his  selection  of  dogs  who 
would  follow  him  unfalteringly,  to  the 
(death  if  necessary.  Kid  was  an  instant 
choice;  hesitating  a  moment,  he  hooked 
up  Baldy  beside  Kid  and  gave  the  signal 
to  start  again.  Baldy's  heart  was  filled 
with  pride;  he  had  supposed  that  Tom, 
Dick,  or  Harry  would  share  the  honor 
with  Kid,  and  now,  unexpectedly  it  had 
fallen  to  him.  "Scotty"  was  trusting 
him;  a  great  victory  might  hinge  on  his 
strength  and  faithfulness,  and  he  was 
grateful  indeed  for  this  chance  to  prove 
that  he  was  both  strong  and  faithful.  He 
did  not  care  though  the  glittering  frost 
whitened  his  short  hair  and  at  times 
pierced  his  lean  flanks  like  a  knife  thrust; 
he  hardly  realized  that  the  driving  snow 
froze  his  eyelashes  together  and  caked  in 

[50] 


B ALDY      OF      NOME 


icy  balls  betwen  his  toes,  making  his  feet 
so  tender  that  they  bled.  Straining  and 
breathless  he  plunged  forward  knowing 
only  that  his  master  was  somewhere  be- 
yond calling  to  them  from  out  the  cold 
and  the  dark.  So,  willingly,  blindly,  they 
followed  till  at  length  the  fury  of  the 
blizzard  was  over,  and  once  more  the 
white  trail  stretched  endlessly  to  the  point 
where  earth  and  sky  were  one.  Some- 
times, in  the  glory  of  the  April  sunshine, 
they  passed  the  other  teams;  sometimes 
the  other  teams  passed  them,  speed  mad 
all;  and  then  there  was  a  long  rest,  much 
care  and  food,  to  repletion.  In  spite  of  the 
physical  relaxation,  however,  there  was  a 
nervous  tension  in  their  stay  at  Candle; 
for  one  by  one  the  other  teams  came  and 
went,  and  Baldy  some  way  felt  that  the 
real  work  of  the  contest  was  yet  to  be 
done  and  he  was  eager  to  be  about  it. 
Finally  they  were  off  again,  after  an  irk- 

[51] 


B  ALD  Y      OF      NOME 


some  delay  in  which  dogs  were  checked 
off  and  identification  papers  signed. 
Even  the  least  responsive  dog  must  then 
have  felt  the  thrill  of  the  famous  race,  for 
never  a  whip,  hardly  a  word,  was  neces- 
sary to  spur  themjDn.  Soon  the  stiffness 
from  the  rest  and  the  heaviness  from  the 
food  were  forgotten,  and  there  existed  just 
one  dominating,  resistless  impulse  in  man 
and  dog — the  impulse  to  win. 

Now  with  flying  feet  they  sped  along 
the  edge  of  deep  gorges,  up  steep  slopes, 
and  over  the  slippery  ice  of  streams,  rivers 
and  lakes.  There  was  even  no  hesitation 
when  after  crossing  the  level  floor  of 
Death  Valley  they  chose  a  narrow  defile 
from  the  many  that  led  out  of  that  dreary, 
desolate  stretch  of  country  whose  appal- 
ling silence  is  only  broken  by  the  wailing 
and  shrieking  of  the  wind  in  those  sudden 
and  terrific  storms  that  sweep  down  from 
the    towering    peaks    that    surround    it. 

[52] 


B ALD Y      OF      NOM  E 


Then  there  was  the  more  pleasant  road 
through  the  woods  from  Council  to  Tim- 
ber Road  House;  and  so  on  and  on 
through  Solomon  and  Safety,  till  the 
course  was  almost  covered. 

To  Baldy  that  wonderful  homeward 
run  was  blurred  by  the  fierce  excitement 
at  the  end.  He  dimly  recalled  the  miles 
upon  miles  of  glaring  whiteness ;  the  joy 
of  those  moments  when  they  left  their 
rivals  far  behind  them  on  the  Trail ;  and 
of  fatigue,  held  in  check  by  a  new  and 
strange  exaltation.  He  had  a  certain 
scornful  pity  for  several  of  the  dogs  who 
had  given  in  to  the  exhaustion  of  the  long 
hours  of  traveling  and  were  being  carried 
as  passengers  on  the  sled  that  they  might 
recuperate  for  the  final  desperate  dash 
for  Nome.  And  what  a  dash  it  was!  At 
Fort  Davis,  four  miles  down  the  coast, 
there  was  the  booming  of  a  cannon  in 
welcome,   which   was   an    inspiration   to 

[53] 


ft 

St 


•S^ 


BALDY      OF      NOME 


Tom,  Dick,  and  Harry,  who  loved  any 
sort  of  a  demonstration  in  which  they 
could  figure  conspicuously,  but  was  a 
nerve-racking  forerunner  to  Baldy  of  the 
personal  discomfort  that  may  be  part  of  a 
great  achievement.  Though  it  was  ten 
o'clock  at  night,  the  full  moon  and  the 
radiance  of  the  snow  made  everything 
shimmer  and  glitter  with  wonderful  bril- 
liancy; the  lights  of  the  little  town  seemed 
but  a  continuation  of  the  stars;  huge  bon- 
fires cast  a  warm  glow  upon  the  ice,  and 
rockets  rose  and  fell  like  sparkling  jewels 
in  the  clear  sky.  There  was  the  stirring 
triumphant  notes  of  the  bugle,  and  wild, 
incessant  cheers.  Then  the  crowds  surged 
toward  them  as  they  "crossed  the  line," 
and  the  timekeepers  officially  announced 
the  arrival  of  the  first  team;  four  hundred 
and  eight  miles  in  eighty-two  hours,  two 
minutes  and  forty-one  seconds.  Again 
came  the  deafening  shouts,  and  again  they 

[55] ' 


BALDY      OF      NOME 


were  engulfed,  almost  crushed,  in  the 
struggling  mass  of  humanity  that  hemmed 
them  around.  Kid,  quiet  and  indifferent, 
took  no  heed  of  these  outbursts;  Tom, 
anxious  as  usual  to  be  in  the  limelight, 
glanced  about  and  selecting  the  District 
Attorney,  who  was  known  to  be  a  great 
admirer  of  the  team,  jumped  upon  him 
demanding  recognition.  The  people 
laughed  and  gave  three  cheers  for  Tom 
and  his  friend;  but  Baldy  did  not  even  re- 
sent this  little  play  for  public  favor,  for 
"Scotty,"  feeling  the  dog  pressing  against 
him,  had  just  looked  down  and  said, 
"Good  old  Baldy,  we  might  have  had  a 
different  tale  to  tell  if  it  had  not  been  for 
you !"  And  so  Baldy's  first  great  race  was 
over,  and  he  had  made  good. 

He  experienced  a  contentment  quite 
new  to  him,  and  his  time  was  no  longer 
spent  in  brooding  over  the  shortsighted- 
ness of  a  world  which,  till  now,  had  ap- 

[56] 


BALDY     OF      NOME 


peared  unable  to  grasp  the  idea  that 
beauty  is  only  fur  deep,  but  that  ability 
goes  to  the  bone.  He  became  ambitious 
and  his  ideal  was  indeed  high — to  be 
classed  with  Dubby  and  Kid  in  "Scotty's" 
affections. 


[57] 


B ALD Y      OF      NOM  E 


Chapter  V. 

The  Solomon  Derby — Baldy  Rescues 
Scotty. 

SEVERAL  months  passed  and  they 
were  again  in  training.  Baldy  knew 
that  this  race  would  not  be  one  of  any  un- 
usual distance,  for  they  were  taken  out 
merely  for  cross-country  spins  in  which 
speed  and  not  endurance  was  the  main 
consideration.  Kid,  a  fine  leader  always, 
was  developing  each  day  greater  control 
over  the  team,  and  "Scotty"  was  jubilant. 
The  day  before  the  race,  by  an  unavoid- 
able accident,  Kid  was  killed,  and  the 
whole  Kennel  was  plunged  into  gloom, 
for  he  had  been  a  genial  stable  mate  and  a 
general  favorite.  "Scotty,"  heartsick  over 
his  loss,  moved  silently  amongst  the  other 
dogs,  who  realized  that  something  was 
very  wrong  and  gave  as  little  trouble  as 

[58] 


BALDY      OF      NOM  E 


they  could.  There  was  no  exercise  that 
afternoon,  and  the  next  morning  when 
they  were  being  harnessed,  the  question  of 
a  leader  confronted  "Scotty."  He  talked 
it  over  with  Matt  and  with  Her,  and 
when  they  suggested  Tom,  "Scotty"  said 
that  while  Tom  never  fell  below  the 
necessary  standard  in  anything,  neither 
did  he  ever  rise  above  it.  He  pondered 
for  a  little  while  and  then  exclaimed,  "I 
believe  I'll  put  Baldy  in  the  lead;  he's 
nervous  amongst  people,  but  on  the  trail 
I  can  depend  upon  him  to  the  last  breath 
in  his  body!" 

And  so  it  was  Baldy  who  led  the  team 
in  the  Solomon  Derby.  It  took  the 
strongest  self-control  and  the  keenest  de- 
sire not  to  shake  "Scotty's"  trust  in  him,  to 
keep  Baldy  from  bolting  when  he  moved 
once  more  through  those  throngs  whose 
nearness  roused  in  him  such  fear;  but  the 
ordeal  was  soon  over,  and  they  were  in  the 

[59] 


BALDY      OF      NOME 


open,  speeding  toward  the  dark  and 
frowning  cliffs  of  Cape  Nome.  Two 
teams,  at  intervals  of  ten  minutes,  had 
started  before  them,  and  there  were  three 
others  to  follow.  As  the  course  was  only 
sixty-five  miles,  from  Nome  to  Solomon 
and  return,  "Scotty"  decided  to  pass  the 
teams  in  front,  even  if  he  acted  as  trail 
breaker  and  pace-maker,  for  there  was  no 
necessity  for  generalship  in  the  matter  of 
resting  and  feeding.  Baldy  thrilled  with 
pride  as  he  forged  ahead.  The  day  was 
clear  but  cold,  twenty  below  zero,  and  the 
course  was  in  excellent  condition.  What 
a  chance  was  his  to  show  "Scotty"  that  he 
was  more  than  "just  dog."  No  under- 
study on  the  stage,  given  an  unexpected 
opportunity,  ever  desired  more  fervently 
to  eclipse  the  Star  than  Baldy  to  success- 
fully fill  poor  Kid's  place.  How  they  flew 
over  the  snow;  how  exhilarating  the  crisp 
air  was;  how  light  the  sled;  and  then  it 

[60] 


BALDY      OF      NOME 


gradually  dawned  upon  Baldy  that  the 
sled  was  too  light.  The  racing  sled  only 
weighed  a  little  more  than  thirty  pounds, 
and  "Scotty,"  when  he  was  not  running 
behind  with  a  tight  grasp  on  the  handle 
bars,  usually  perched  at  the  back  on  the 
projecting  runners.  For  some  time  Baldy 
had  not  noticed  this  additional  weight, 
and  then,  too,  he  was  beginning  to  miss 
his  master's  voice,  "Hi,  there!  Tom, 
Dick,  Harry,  snow  birds  in  sight;  Rab- 
bits, Spot!  Roadhouse,  Barney!"  Of 
course,  all  of  the  dogs  knew  perfectly  well 
that  it  was  only  a  joke,  that  snow  birds, 
and  rabbits,  and  roadhouses  are  things 
that  do  not  concern  you  at  all  when  you 
are  being  driven  by  "Scotty"  ;  but  they  en- 
joyed the  little  pleasantry  and  it  gave 
them  delightful  things  to  think  about  that 
might  become  possibilities  when  they 
were  not  in  harness. 

If  "Scotty"  was  not  actually  addressing 

[62] 


B ALD Y      OF      NOM  E 


them  personally,  he  was  usually  singing 
scraps  of  Scotch  ballads,  or  whistling  bits 
of  ragtime,  which  was  wonderfully  cheer- 
ing, as  it  gave  them  a  sense  of  companion- 
ship with  him.  At  last  the  instinct  that 
all  was  not  right  was  too  strong  for  Baldy, 
and  stopping  suddenly  he  looked  back 
and  discovered  that  they  were  driverless. 
He  realized  that  such  halts  as  this  were 
absolutely  prohibited;  but  the  team  with- 
out "Scotty"  was  a  ship  without  a  captain, 
and  Baldy  felt  there  was  but  one  thing  to 
do — to  find  "Scotty"  at  all  hazards.  For 
an  instant  there  was  danger  of  a  mutiny 
amongst  the  dogs.  Tom,  Dick,  and 
Harry  agreed  it  was  a  wonderful  chance 
to  make  that  snow  bird  joke  a  charming 
reality.  A  fluffy  plump  hare,  scurrying 
by,  within  range  of  Spot's  young  eyes, 
roused  in  him  a  desire  to  give  chase  and 
he  quite  forgot  the  importance  of  his  posi- 
tion.    But  Baldy,  knowing  the  time  for 

[63] 


B ALD Y      OF      NOM  E 


action  had  come,  that  his  supremacy  as  a 
leader  must  be  acknowledged  at  once, 
firmly  held  his  ground.  In  some  subtle, 
final  way  he  made  them  realize  that  they 
must  obey  him  implicitly;  and  so,  when 
he  swung  round  they  followed  him  as  un- 
swervingly as  they  would  have  followed 
Kid. 

Far  away  in  the  whiteness  Baldy  saw  a 
black  spot  toward  which  he  sped  with 
mad  impatience.  It  was  his  master,  lying 
pale,  motionless,  and  blood  stained  in  the 
trail.  From  a  deep  gash  on  his  head  a 
crimson  stream  oozed  and  froze,  matting 
his  hair  and  the  fur  on  his  parka.  Baldy 
stopped  beside  him,  quivering  with  an  un- 
known dread.  He  licked  the  pallid  face, 
the  cold  hands,  and  placed  a  gentle  paw 
on  the  man's  breast,  scratching  softly  to 
see  if  he  could  not  gain  some  response. 
Throwing  back  his  head  there  broke  from 
him  the  wild  wail  of  the  malamute,  his 

[64] 


B  ALD  Y     OF      NOM  E 


inheritance  from  some  wolf  ancestor. 
The  other  dogs  joined  in  the  mournful 
chorus,  and  then  as  it  died  away  he  tried 
again  and  again  to  rouse  his  silent  master. 
Moment  after  moment  passed;  finally  the 
warm  tongue  and  the  insistent  paw  did 
their  work,  for  there  was  a  slight  move- 
ment, a  flicker  of  the  eyelids,  and  then 
"Scotty"  lifted  himself  upon  his  elbow  and 
spoke  to  them.  He  was  terribly  confused. 
What  was  he  doing  in  the  snow — in  the 
bitter  cold,  soaked  in  blood,  and  with  his 
team  beside  him?  Then  he  remembered 
that  he  was  in  a  race,  the  Solomon  Derby; 
he  had  gone  ahead  of  the  other  teams  at  a 
terrific  speed  when  he  heard  something 
snap.  Thinking  it  might  be  a  runner, 
he  had  leaned  over  the  side  of  the  sled  to 
look;  there  was  a  crushing  blow,  and  he 
recalled  no  more  till  he  felt  Baldy's  hot 
breath,  and  an  agonizing  pain  in  his 
temple.     Gazing  about  he  saw  the  cause 

[65] 


BALDY     OF      NOM  E 


of  the  mishap,  an  iron  trail  stake  half  con- 
cealed by  a  drift,  now  red  with  his  blood. 
He  could  not  tell  how  long  he  had  been 
unconscious,  whether  minutes  or  hours. 
He  only  realized  that  he  had  never 
reached  Solomon.  Weakly  he  stumbled 
to  his  feet  and  fell  into  the  sled.  At  a 
word  Baldy  darted  ahead  and  Allan  saw 
from  the  position  of  the  high  wireless 
tower  at  Port  Safety  that  they  were 
traveling  in  the  wrong  direction.  Giv- 
ing the  order,  the  team  was  turned, 
and,  uncertain  of  anything  save  that 
you  are  never  beaten  till  the  race  is 
over,  "Scotty"  urged  Baldy  to  do  his  wil- 
ling best.  Arriving  at  Solomon  "Scotty" 
was  amazed  to  hear  that  they  were  the 
first  team  in,  his  delay  having  apparently 
been  but  a  short  one.  He  resisted  the 
entreaties  of  the  Solomon  officials  that  he 
should  have  medical  attention,  saying 
that  he  would  not  have  any  trouble  so 
[66] 


BALDY      OF      NOME 


long  as  his  cap  was  frozen  to  his  wound, 
and  only  rested  the  five  minutes  that  are 
obligatory  for  the  signing  of  papers  and 
the  watering  of  the  dogs. 

On  the  return  it  seemed  as  if  Kid  him- 
self could  not  have  done  more  than  did 
Baldy,  and  "Scotty"  was  amazed  at  the 
way  he  handled  himself  and  the  team;  all 
of  his  latent  powers  developing  to  meet 
the  demands  upon  him.  He  proved  him- 
self indeed  a  leader. 

The  news  of  the  accident  had  been 
telephoned  to  Nome,  and  the  usual  en- 
thusiasm over  the  arrival  of  a  victorious 
team  was  turned  into  an  ovation  for  the 
popular  and  plucky  little  Scotchman.  In 
spite  of  the  loss  of  the  best  dog  in  the  Ken- 
nel on  the  eve  of  the  race,  and  having  been 
knocked  senseless  in  the  trail,  he  was  still 
winner  of  the  Solomon  Derby,  and  he 
gave  the  credit  of  it  all  to  Baldy! 


[67] 


"The  usual  enthusiasm  over  the  arrival  of  a  victorious 
team  was  turned  into  an  ovation  for  the  popular 
and  plucky  little  Scotchman.     In  spite  of  the  loss 
of  the  best  dog  in  the  kennel  on  the  eve  of  the  race, 
and  having  been  knocked  senseless  in  the  trail, 
he  was  still  winner  of  the  Solomon  Derby,  and  he 
gave  the  credit  of  it  all  to  Baldy!" 


B ALD Y      OF      NOM  E 


What  a  homecoming  it  was  for  the  dog. 
"Scotty"  Allan  warmly  praised  him,  and 
Matt  listened  in  cordial  admiration.  She 
almost  wept  on  his  neck  and  said  he  de- 
served a  Carnegie  Medal,  whatever  that 
was,  but  suggested  a  large  juicy  beefsteak 
as  an  immediate  compromise.  George 
Allan  and  Danny  Kelly,  from  out  their 
superior  wisdom  of  dog  affairs,  conceded 
frankly  that  it  was  more  than  they  had  ex- 
pected of  a  "sourball" ;  while  most  grati- 
fying of  all,  Dubby  came  in  to  express, 
with  strenuous  waggings  of  his  docked 
tail,  his  surprise  and  satisfaction  that  a 
member  of  a  purely  sporting  fraternity 
had  distinguished  himself  so  highly;  had 
acted  in  fact,  in  a  manner  worthy  of  a 
thoroughbred  huskie;  and  Baldy,  know- 
ing that  Dubby  had  himself  and  his  un- 
blemished career  in  mind,  felt  that  this 
was  indeed  the  climax  of  approval. 


[69] 


B  ALD  Y      OF      NOM  E 


Chapter  VI. 

Kennel  Gossip. 

THE  days  and  weeks  and  months  now 
slipped  quickly  and  happily  away 
for  Baldy.  There  was  one  episode  that  he 
did  not  care  to  dwell  upon  too  often — 
their  defeat  in  one  of  the  big  Sweepstakes 
by  two  teams  of  the  Siberians.  It  would 
have  been  far  less  trying  if  their  success- 
ful opponents  had  been  Alaskans,  but  for 
those  "fuzzy-wuzzy  Russian  lap  dogs," 
as  She  called  them,  to  come  in  first  and 
second,  and  break  a  record  at  that,  was 
most  humiliating.  Baldy  was  too  true  a 
sport  not  to  admit,  even  to  himself,  that 
they  were  beaten  fairly  and  squarely,  but 
he  had  many  excuses  in  his  own  mind  for 
so  deplorable  a  happening.  He  felt  they 
had  gone  into  the  contest  weak;  there  had 
not  been  enough  dependable  dogs  in  the 

[70] 


BALDY      OF      NOME 


Kennel,  and  he  was  glad  indeed  when 
"Scotty"  decided  hereafter  to  use  stronger 
teams  in  these  events.  Then  they  proudly 
retrieved  their  defeat,  and  covered  them- 
selves with  glory  in  the  most  hotly  con- 
tested races  ever  run  in  Alaska.  Twice 
again  Baldy  had  taken  them  at  headlong 
speed  out  over  the  frozen  waters  of  Ber- 
ing Sea;  across  the  trackless  wastes  of 
drifted  snow;  through  the  pitiless  storms 
of  driven  sleet;  skimming  the  glare  ice  of 
lagoons;  skirting  the  precipitous  heights 
of  towering  mountains,  to  the  bleak  shores 
of  the  Arctic;  and  again  twice  he  had 
brought  them  safely  back,  Victors  in  this 
Classic  of  the  North. 

With  the  summer  came  Baldy's  play 
time.  He  had  been  invited  with  Irish 
and  Rover  to  visit  at  one  of  the  Pioneer 
Mining  Company  camps  in  the  far  hills; 
and  here,  free  to  do  what  their  wildest 
fancies  dictated,  they  swam,  unmolested, 

[72] 


BALDY      OF      NOME 


in  the  ditch;  ran  for  miles  with  their 
chum,  the  gray  horse;  hunted  squirrels, 
and  even  fished  so  successfully  that  they 
were  the  admiration  of  all  the  men  who 
came  down  each  day  to  watch  them. 
Irish  and  Baldy  would  stand  in  the  riffles 
of  a  stream,  and  Rover  leaping  into  the 
pools  and  quiet  waters  would  drive  the 
fish  up  into  the  shallows  where  they  were 
seized  by  his  two  companions,  taken 
ashore  and  dropped  on  the  bank,  when 
they  returned  for  more — keeping  up  the 
sport  till  a  bird  in  flight  or  some  other 
fascinating  moving  creature  lured  them 
away  in  a  spirited  chase  through  thick 
willows  and  across  the  marshlands.  At 
night  they  slept  in  the  bunk  house,  and 
ate  without  restriction  such  mysterious 
delicacies  as  pies  and  chocolate  cakes  till 
at  last,  surfeited  with  luxury  and  idleness, 
they  returned  to  Nome  ready  for  the  cares 
and  responsibilities  of  the  winter. 

[73] 


B  ALD  Y     OF      NOM  E 


There  had  been  several  changes  in  the 
Kennel ;  Dubby,  full  of  years  and  honors, 
was  dead,  and  his  obituary  in  the  news- 
papers was  one  that  many  a  man  might  be 
proud  to  deserve.  "Alaska's  most  famous 
leader  passes  away."  What  untold  stories 
of  marvelous  intelligence,  of  unfaltering 
allegiance,  of  loving  service  lay  in  those 
simple  words! 

Baldy  missed  Dubby  sorely,  for  there 
had  grown  a  firm  bond  of  sympathy  be- 
tween them.  The  old  huskie  had  learned 
to  know  that  a  character  may  dignify  a 
calling,  and  that  a  true  heart  often  beats 
beneath  a  racing  harness;  while  Baldy 
had  discovered  that  Dubby's  aloofness 
was  but  the  inevitable  loneliness  of  the 
Dog  who  has  had  his  Day.  To  divert  his 
mind  from  sad  memories  Baldy  would  go 
to  look  at  Mego's  twelve  beautiful,  fat, 
new  puppies,  and  then,  dozing  peace- 
fully,  would   dream   of   a   comfortable, 

[74] 


B ALD Y      OF      NOM  E 


serene  old  age  when  he  would  be  given 
the  tutoring  of  such,  as  Winners  of  future 
"All-Alaska  Sweepstakes." 

One  day,  from  so  rosy  a  vision,  he  sud- 
denly waked  to  see  Her  come  into  the 
Kennel  with  "Scotty."  They  stood  by  the 
door  talking  earnestly.  "It  is  a  hard 
choice,"  She  said,  "for  I  know  you  love 
them  all.  It  would  not  do  to  separate 
Tom,  Dick,  and  Harry,  and  one  would  be 
quite  enough  to  draw  an  invalid  chair. 
On  they  came  past  Priest  and  Irish.  "He 
must  be  strong  and  gentle,"  She  con- 
tinued, as  they  paused  at  the  last  two  stalls 
and  looked  from  Jack  McMillan  to 
Baldy.  McMillan  tugged  violently  at  his 
chain,  striving  to  reach  Her.  Baldy  crept 
close  to  "Scotty's"  side.  "Jack  is  both 
strong  and  gentle,"  the  man  explained. 
"He  was  never  vicious,  just  misunder- 
stood. As  for  Baldy,  well,  I  can't  very 
well  give  him  up.    He  has  led  the  team  in 

[75] 


B ALDY      OF      NOM  E 


three  great  victories,  and  you  remember 
he  did  not  desert  me  when  I  lay  freezing 
and  helpless,  alone  in  the  snow."  His 
master's  hand  fell  caressingly  on  the  ugly 
dark  head  pressed  so  tightly,  so  trustfully, 
against  him.  "He's  a  wonderful  leader 
and  my  faithful  friend,"  "Scotty"  said. 

And  so  it  happened  that  McMillan  of 
the  broken  tusks,  whose  name  was  once  a 
symbol  of  all  that  was  fierce  and  wicked, 
and  wolf-like  in  the  annals  of  Nome,  to- 
day, under  sunny  California  skies,  wan- 
ders contentedly  beneath  the  Berkeley 
Oaks  with  Her;  or  sedately  pulls  a 
wheeled  chair,  the  loved  and  loving  com- 
panion of  one  whose  tender  affection  has 
blotted  out  the  memory  of  those  other 
days  of  rebellion  and  unrest;  while  Baldy, 
like  White  Fang,  Cigarette,  and  her  blind 
charge,  Cigar,  John  Johnson's  Blue  Eyed 
Leader,  and  brave  old  Dubby,  will  be 
known  so  long  as  the  Tales  of  the  North 
shall  be  told,  as  one  of  the  Immortals  of 
the  Alaska  Trail. 


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NORTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 
Bldg.  400,  Richmond  Field  Station 
University  of  California 
Richmond,  CA  94804-4698 


4/j 


ALL  BOOKS  MAY  BE  RECALLED  AFTER  7  DAYS 

•  2-month  loans  may  be  renewed  by  calling 
(510)642-6753 

•  1-year  loans  may  be  recharged  by  bringing 
books  to  NRLF 

•  Renewals  and  recharges  may  be  made 
4  days  prior  to  due  date 

DUE  AS  STAMPED  BELOW 


TUN  1  8  2003 


DD20  15M  4-02 


